To Check Out This Week: Mon Khmer

I really like this band.  The sound is minimalist yet familiar and meaningful.  Mon Khmer is a Brooklyn-based five-some lead by vocalist/guitarist Hammarsing, who is also fluent in Mon Khmer, a grouping of indigenous Southeast Asian languages.

The songs are edgy yet laid back, slightly aggressive at times but will suddenly slip into short bursts of joy.  They remind me a lot of White Rabbits.

And you have to love a band that has a “devastating secret weapon.”  According to the band’s bio:

Dave Kaye equips Mon Khmer with a devastating secret weapon, by adding his pedal steel touch layering the songs with beautiful sweeping hooking sounds.

Mon Khmer’s self-titled debut, which was released in February, is vinyl-only, 10-song goodness.  The band is playing at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday with Beach Fossils and Midnight Masses for The Deli’s Best Of NYC Fest.  More details here and take a listen below…

Mon Khmer – Birthplace